Pros And Cons Of Bar Ordinance

Iowa City's Bar Ordinance Controversy This paper examines Iowa City's current controversy with the 19-only bar ordinance approved by Iowa City's City Council on August 1, 2003. The controversy of underage drinking that included implementing a 21-ordinance has been an oft-debated issue for Iowa City's City Council who is split over the issue. The current ordinance allows 19 and 20 year olds in the bars after 10 p.m. I have examined several sources and classified them into the following criteria: a) Pro-ordinance based on safety perspectives, b) Pro-ordinance based on unrestricted environment issues, c) Anti-ordinance based on alcohol statistics, d) Anti-ordinance based on crime rates, e) Anti-ordinance based on overall community as it stands in Iowa City today.

Pro-ordinance based on safety perspectives
Underage students are not going to stop drinking even if they aren't allowed in the bars (Jeffrey Patch 2/12/03). Most bars provide at least reasonable assurance that all customers will be drinking safely with staff members paid to keep patrons in line and police officers an earshot away (DI Editorial Board 9/25/06). Downtown establishments monitor the patrons' alcohol intake, use careful wristband systems, employ sober staff, and pay heavy fines if found to be serving to minors (Lindsay Schutte 10/1/04). Police records show that 93 percent of underage drinkers cited for possession of alcohol were ticketed at the bars (Drew Kerr & Nick Peterson 12/9/05). Irresponsible and underage consumers are hit where it hurts the most, their wallets, while responsible users are free from expensive tickets and fines. "We are not after underage drinking but rather binge drinking," said City Council member Connie Champion. "It is about the abuse of alcohol, not the consumption" (Jessica Seveska 10/19/04). Enacting a 21-ordinance in